Manipulatory puppet



Oct. 14, 1969 K. KRATZER MANIPULATORY PUPPET Filed July 27, 1966INVENTOR.

KARL KRATZ ER A TTO/QNEY United States Patent 3,471,966 MANIPULATORYPUPPET Karl Kratzer, Hemau, Upper Palatinate, Germany Filed July 27,1966, Ser. No. 568,172 Int. Cl. A63h 3/04 US. Cl. 46-154 2 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A puppet comprises a funicular support basewith a rod through the bottom extending to a puppet head above thesupport, the top of the latter and the puppet head being joined by aloose garment, whereby the puppet head can be readily manipulated withone hand, the other hand being used to hold the support.

The object of the invention is to create a puppet, distinguishing itselfby being of a very simple construction and inexpensive to manufacture,which is capable of carrying out a variety of charming and entertainingmovement and gestures. There are known puppets dressed in some sort of agarment, which can be pulled over the hand, whereby three fingers catchinto the sleeve of the garment and the hollowly executed head. However,the motion and mobility of such puppets are limited to the motionscarried out by the fingers. Particularly, a most charming completeturning of the head relative to the body, respectively to the arms washitherto not feasible. Furthermore, a certain length of time is consumeduntil the fingers have reached the proper position in the interior ofthe garment and head. Consequently, these already known puppets becometoo laborious and diflicult to handle for small children.

In accordance with my invention there is brought about a manipulativepuppet, in that a rod or dowel is guided loosely through a tapering andconical cylinder, the head of said puppet is fastened to the upper endof said dowel or rod, the garment of said puppet being attached to theupper edge of the tapering or conic cylinder. One hand may very easilyhold onto the lower point of the funnel shaped cylinder of said puppet,while the other hand manipulates said dowel. By swinging and/or turningthe dowel, as well as by causing the puppet to more or less slide intothe said cylinder, the puppet can carry out numerous most natural andhumorous movements, and gestures, climaxing in a complete turning of thehead without simultaneous turning of the arms. In short, it is clearthat the puppet is capable of a variety of motions, viz., of beingrotated, of being pulled up and down, and of being rocked angularly withrespect to the funnelshaped support.

The invention is described in detal by way of the attached drawing,which illustrates a mode of carrying out the invention.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a lateral view of the novel puppet.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along the broken line shown in FIGURE1, and shows a detail in section of said puppet. In the drawing, 1designates a funnel shaped part, having a small opening at its lowerend, through which a rod 2 loosely guida-ble and movable, passes. A head3 is fastened onto the upper end of said rod 2, which basically, asindicated in the example, has the shape of a ball with a small hat 4attached thereto. The puppet is wrapped in a gown or smock-like garment5, which is closed by a decorative loop 6 just below the ice head. Thegarment is furnished with arms and hands or gloves 7, for example,constituted by simple flaps made of a fabric or felt. The lower edge ofsaid garment is fastened onto the upper edge of the funnel shapedpart 1. One may use a decorative ribbon 8 for the purpose of fasteningsaid garment to said funnel, said ribbon being drawn alternately throughcorresponding openings 9 on the edge of said funnel, at the same timeserving to keep the funnel together at its upper end, whereby saidalternately arranged ribbon may continue along the vertical overlappingand joining edges of said funnel down to the pointed end of the funnel.

It will suifice to fasten the garment-by means of durable threads 10onto the interior space of the band 8. The length of the rod 2 is 12-24inches. The rod must in any event be long enough so that a sectionthereof is left protruding from the lower part of said funnel, and thatone can comfortably hold onto said rod, when the puppet is drawncompletely out of said funnel shaped part. One may cause the puppet tocompletely disappear, by retracting same into the funnel. The puppet canbe turned around its axis once or even several times in any position;this holds true even when said puppet emerges slowly from said funnel.

The drawings and description of the puppet are obviously merely intendedas an illustrative example; any other type of puppets may be used incarrying out the invention. When the invention is applied to animalfigures, one uses fur or skin instead of the garment.

Adults as well as children may be entertained by the invented puppet,due to its charming and variable movements.

I claim as my invention:

1. A puppet, comprising in combination,

a funnel-shaped support base adapted to be held in one hand of anoperator;

a rod guided loosely through said support and capable of being rotated,pulled up and down, and worked angularly with respect to said support;and extended through the bottom of said support so as to be graspable bythe other hand of said operator;

a garment attached to the wide upper end of said funnelshaped supportand extending to the upper part of said rod;

a head mounted above said garment on the upper end of said rod wherebysaid garment and head may be withdrawn into said funnel-shaped supportupon pulling down said rod.

2. A puppet in accordance with claim 1 wherein said garment is attachedto said upper edge of said funnel by a length of ribbon threadedtherebetween, said length of ribbon likewise being threaded acrossoverlapping seams of said funnel, thereby maintaining said support in a55 funnel configuration.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,327,234 11/1942 Wolfi etal46-126 2,725,670 12/1955 Hodes 46-154X FOREIGN PATENTS 728,336 4/1955Great Britain.

ROBERT PESHOCK, Primary Examiner CHARLES R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner

